Disappearing electric fan



Feb. 13, 1923.

, 1,445,402. C. W- LE VELLE.

DISAPPEARING ELECTRIC FAN- FILED MAR. s. 1922. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IN VEN TOR.

Clarence W Le Melle A TTORIVEY.

Feb. 13, 1923..

c. w. LE VELLE. DISAPPEARING ELECTRIC FAN.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

men MAR;6,1922.

INVEN TOR.

flarence W Le Vdle A TTORNE Y.

Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,402.

I c. w. LE VELLE. DISAPPEARING ELECTRIC FAN.

FILED MAR. 6, I922. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. Wyn-$2: l7 7 INVENTOR.

Clarence )4. LeVelle ag/M4 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 13, 1%23.

nearer CLARENCE W. LE VELLE, 0F WICHI'IA, KANSAS.

DISAPPEARING ELECTRIC FAN.

Application filed March 6, 1922. Serial No. 541,422.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. Le VELLE, acitizen of the United States, residing at lVichita, in the county ofSedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Disappearing Electric Fans, of which the followin is afull, clear, and exact description.

y invention relates to electrical ceiling fans, of the type wherein boththe fan proper and its motor are mounted upon and supported by a pipesuspended from a ceilin beam or the like. object is to provide a fan ofthis type in which the fan blades shall be invisible when not beingdriven by the motor. Accordingly, if the fan fixture be provided withelectric-light receptacles, it will appear to be a plain electrolierexcept when the fan is running; and if the fixture be without lightingreceptacles it will not appear like a fan, except when the fan is inuse.

My improved fans will be especially desirable for use in residences,clubs, and cafes of the better class.

My improved fan fixtures, when equipped with electric-light sockets, maybe installed in the positions allotted to eleetroliers, and will serveeither as a fan or an electrolier or as both at once.

A combination electrolier and fan, constructed according tot-hisinvention, is illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of drawings,in which the same reference characters refer to the same partsthroughout.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combination fixture with the fan(blades) in running position, and the canopies in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same fixture with the fan (blades) instationary position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan ,view of the fan, the motor and the lower canopy,the blades in running position, the motor sh-aftin section;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same, the fan blades being in closed orfolded position;

Figs. 5 and.6 are detail views of one of the blade-arms and itsmounting, omitting the blade and its rivets, and showing the arm inclosed and extended positions respectively;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view, on line VII of Fig. 8, of'one form ofantifriction bearing for the fan blades;

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view on line VIII of 7, omitting thebeariilg-balls;

F1g. 9 is a perspective detail view of one of the spring-adjustingdevices, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the ball bearing members.

The fan fixture support consists of a tubular hanger 1 which forms thenon-rotary shaft of the motor 3, which is of the revolvlng-field typeusually employed. The lower end of 'the hanger 1 supports a flanged nut4 to which the lower canopy 5 is secured. The upper canopy, 6, may be oflesser diameter than the lower, as is shown. 4

In the construction shown, a metal ring, 7, is rigidly mounted upon themotor field frame, in any suitable manner, and is driven thereby. As themanner in which this ring is secured to the motor is immaterial, thisdetail is not illustrated.

For each fan blade, 8, there is provided a bracket as 9, secured to thering 7 by capscrews 10. Each bracket 9 supports a vertical pintle 12, onwhich the associated blade 1s pivoted. The blade-hub might be mounteddirectly upon the pintle, but in order to reduce friction between thesepartsll prefer to provide a ball bearing construction, for example asshown in detail in Fig. 7.

The blade 8 is formed ofsheet metal and with a suitable pitch as shown,for impelling the air downwardly. The blade is secured. to a cast metalarm 13 with rivets 14. The upper endof pintle 12 has a forced fit in ahole in arm 13, and has a .swaged head 12. The lower end of p-intle 12is threaded and has a spline groove 0. Each bracket 9 is hollow, toprovide space for a blade-retracting spring as 16. A circular shoulder,forming a flange 20, is cut in the lower face of the bracket, to receivea rotatably-fitted disc 17, provided with a series of radial holes 18. Alocking-pin 19 is mounted slidably in a hole through the flange 20, andmay enter any one of the holes 18. Disc 17 supports a stud 21, tied towhich is one end of a spiral spring 16 whose other end is tied to a stud22 fixedly mounted on the arm 13. The tension of said spring tends tohold the arm 13 in closed position, or as shown on Fig. 4.

Each arm 13 and the top of its bracket are provided with ball-races 23as shown, in which are a series of balls 24. The hole in disc 17 islarger than pintle 12, for clearance. A lower ball-bearing, which isnecessary, is provided by a series of balls 26, a race-plate 27, and anut 28 on the pintle. Said race-plate is splined on the pintle by anintegral key) 29, taking into groove 0. The parts may e properlyadjusted for use by adjusting the nut 28, which supports the race-plate27. p

The tension of a spring 16 is adjustable by: inserting a socket wrenchin the hexagonal recess 17 (Fig. 9), removing pin 19, and turning disc17 in the proper direction by the wrench, then replacing the pin in thenearest hole 18 to the pins position.

The inner-end of each blade-arm 13 is provided with a stop-lug 30 (orits equivalent) adapted to impinge on the supporting bracket when theblade carried by the arm in question has attained a fully extendedposition by centrifugal force.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4: It w1ll be seen that each fan blade isroughly crescentic in form; the outer end 8' is not pointed however, butrounded. The inner contour-curve a, of each blade is made to registerwith the periphery of the ring 7. The outer contour-curve Z) of eachblade forms an arc of a circle of about the same diameter as that of theupper canopy, or, as shown, slightly smaller, so that when the bladesare in this folded position they will not project beyond said canopy.

In fans that are to be provided with electric lights, the lamp socketsmay artistically be suspended from the lower canopy, for example, asshown on Fig. 2.

When the motor is stationary, the fan. blades 1 will be held by thesprings 16 in the folded positions shown by Figs. 2 and 4:. When themotor is first energized, as its speed increases the centrifugal forceupon the fan blades will overcome the tension of said springs, and theblades will swing out to their operative positions without noise orsticking. When the stop-lugs 3O impinge on the respective brackets, thefans will then be positively driven by the motor. When the motor circuitis opened, the fan blades, as their velocity decreases, will foldinwardly.

This construction will permit easier starting of the fan motors, by theelimination of air-resistance to extended blades.

. In regard to the appended claims, I wishthe bearing brackets or' lugs,and the fan blade butts provided with ball-bearing hubs mounted uponthese pintles.

Having described the invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a motor-driven fan, a motor having a vertical axis, a rotatedelement provided with hearings in circular arrangement, fan bladesprovided with pintles mounted in said bearings, each fan blade having aninner contour curvature adapted to fit said rotated element, and alsohaving an outer contour curvature substantially concentric with saidinner contour curvature, and yielding means for retracting the fanblades inwardly against said rotated element.

2. In a motor driven fan, a motor having a vertical axis, a rotatedelement provided with fan-blade bearings, a lower canopy, a hangersupportin said motor, element and canopy, fan blades pivotally mountedon said bearings respectively, each of said blades being so shaped as tofold into a space above and within the periphery of said canopy, andyielding means for hold ing said blades in such folded positions: whenthe motor is at rest.

3. In a motor driven fan, a vertical hanger, a motor concentricallymounted thereon, a ring encircling the motor and rotated thereby, acanopy of larger diameter than said ring, supported by said hanger belowthe motor, spaced bearings mounted upon said ring, fan blades havingvertical pintles mounted in said bearings, each of said blades being soshaped as to fold into a space above and within the periphery of saidcanopy, and yielding means for holding said blades in such foldedpositions when the motor is at rest.

4. In a motor driven fan, a vertical hanger, a motor concentricallymounted thereon, 'a ring encircling the motor and rotated thereby, acanopy of larger diameter than said ring, supported by said hanger belowthe motor, a bearing bracket mount-- ed on said ring, said brackethaving a chamber therein, a fan-blade arm, a pintle passing through saidarm and bracket, studs held by said bracket and arm respectively, and aspring within said chamber and tied to said studs in a manner to urgesaid arm inwardly toward said ring, one edge of the fan blade beingrecessed in a curve to fit the curvature of said ring, the greatestbreadth of said fan blade being approxi-- mately equal to the differencebetween the radii of the canopy and of the ring.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

CLARENCE W. LE VELLE.

